


Kingdom Hearts : Another Way

by Dreamystory



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), The Lion King (1994)
Genre: Simba is part of the squad instead of being a summon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:35:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26323513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamystory/pseuds/Dreamystory
Summary: What if Simba wasn't an invocation but one of our heroes?
Relationships: Implied Sora/Riku - Relationship
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

_Fear, confusion. That's all I can perceive as I whirl in what appears to be perennial darkness, with no escape, with no escape for my confused senses. I don't touch any surface in this place that I would normally be able to see thanks to my keen eyesight ..._

_wheream I? What happened to my land? And without it ... who am I? I don't remember why I found myself in this timeless chaos, from the moment I was firm with my claws in the ground, and now I'm here._

_Why? Who was it that brought me here? I reflect confusedly totally in the grip of a semi-hysteria while I try to find a foothold to stabilize myself ... I hate feeling myself floating like this, without a goal, a way or a meaning. Not even the most experienced sorcerer can go that far ... I should feel angry about the lack of answers, but I'm not. All that pervades me is a great sense of inner peace. interrupted only by what appears to be panic. And my land? What will become of them? Are they all safe? the answers pile up so fast that I barely have time to find an answer to it, for one to rattle off the other at a speed I didn't believe my mind possessed. I want to squirm, I want to scream and call the names of my loved ones ... but something is preventing me. As if I were underwater I have the impression that if I open my mouth I will drown and no one will be able to hear. As if my voice was muffled ... as if the water sagged my muscles and kept me from struggling to surface and scream at the top of my lungs. But there is no surface. Geez, I'm not even sure this is water. All this has no density, it does not wet my skin... I am like in the air, an air that blocks me in place and clouds my senses._

**_You and I_ **

_...huh?_

_In total confusion I can open my eyes a little more. With what difference, if all I see is the darkness of a remote place, forgotten by the senses._

**_Where am I? Who spoke?_ **

_The silence that follows, jolted and interspersed only by a familiar rhythm, level and stable like a drum, lets me understand that an answer will not be what I will soon have. Maybe whoever spoke up wants to make me sweat this answer? do you want me to understand by myself?_

**_Who are you? What do you want from me?_ **

_the voice returns, closer. As if it came from within._

**_find the light, and follow it._ **

**_right the wrong._ **

_I don't realize you are floating down until I feel my body gently lowering, as if drawn to a higher force, spinning like a leaf would in a lake ... safely but gracefully_

****

**_You and i_ **

**_as one_ **

**_right the wrongs ..._ **

****

_the voice is now faint, and it is more and more while finally something solid is under me._

_Something solid in the dazzling darkness_

****

**_what is it you want?_ **

****

**_I ... I want to know where I am._ **

****

**_in the darkness, tied to it._ **

_In the darkness? In some remote corner of my land? in some unknown, forgotten and abandoned orifice?_

_**who are you?** _

_the voice takes a while to respond_

_**the voice of your heart.** _

_**my heart?** _

_I am confused, I am very confused._

**_follow the light._ **

****

**_the light?_ **

****

**_follow the light._ **

****

_Something below me is cold. Cold as only a rock can be, as the morning water bathes you. When I look down I see my own face: amber eyes, reddish/ beige complexion ... I can't be wrong. It's a circle ... a circle that portrays me brightly, a little dark and blackened on the sides, like it's been damaged by something. Or someone._

_My face is dormant, facing down and with a peaceful expression in it._

_Sleepy..._

**_I'm dead?_ **

**_your heart survived the darkness. You have shown that you have strength in it._ **

****

**_..._ **

****

**_Your heart will find the light, for you are part of it and you will eventually return to it, young heart._ **

_what?_

****

**_But beware: don't let the darkness have you. You will play an important role, be strong._ **

_an important role?_

_...what?_

_if before I was confused, now I'm not understanding a damn thing anymore._

_An important role in what? for who? am I part of the light?_

_and then, suddenly the world rushes from under me._


	2. Chapter 1 : introductions

In the last few hours Sora had realized how much that ... um ... Keyblade? He was light, despite Donald Duck having found it difficult to lift him in one of the outbursts of anger that the boy was beginning to recognize as typical of the wide-mouthed duck, so different from Pippo's positive and totally calm attitude that he knew how to find a solution to every problem in the most peaceful way possible ... it was strange to think that he had known them for a few hours but that he had already managed to frame the personalities better than perhaps he had managed to do with Riku or with Kairi ... for a brief moment he thought that perhaps he didn't know them as well as he believed, but the more positive part of his being reminded him that he would find them both soon and that they would make it all clear. But his thoughts were interrupted by a flash; a lightning?

At first he didn't pay too much attention to it, maybe it was a storm ... but something very different from thunder rang in the air above. It was like a scream mixed with some confused words that Sora recognized as "MOVE!" Followed by a shrill scream from a Donald panicked by the sight of something that was evidently about to fall on them. Sora was slow on his own at times and it took him a good minute to realize that something was actually about to fall on him in a potentially ... no, definitely disastrous way. But he didn't realize it until the shadow was on him and Goofy shouted "SORA! DOWN!" Instinctively he crouched down with his ankles and protected his head by crossing his hands over it, then lowering it between his knees in a vain attempt to save his life from ... whatever? That adventure had already begun and Sora did not understand half of what was happening around him. Although he knew that everyone he met had high expectations of him, he didn't see himself so differently from how a boy his age saw himself. At the same time he thought how much better it would be if he were still on his island in a moment of despair, a thud of something falling made him fear for life, as he knew it had fallen in proximity to him.  
And that it was something heavy ... very heavy. But it didn't fall on him, miraculously ... it was as if whatever was falling had found a way to stop the fall in an abrupt, but somewhat life-saving way.  
There followed a moment of silence in which Sora only heard the beating of his own maddened heart against his ribcage in his ears and a labored breathing above him. But apart from that, only the silence of the middle city.

At that moment Sora did not know what to do but try to timidly peek through the crack created by his arms ... to his friends. What he saw amazed him; his face met a peach-colored muzzle with a long mustache and a large wet nose that touched his; what the hell was that ?! He did not remember ever seeing such a large animal on the island ... as long as it was an animal or not some sort of demon (even that wouldn't surprise him that much by now.) He sat down abruptly, ready groped an escape from that beast ... in which amber eyes, however, Sora recognized his own kind of confusion. "Oh, Ancestors!" That was what the animal exclaimed, backing away before Sora could, the exact way a frightened cat would walk away from a dog, ears flattened on a reddish mane and eyes the size of two flat plates. "I'm so sorry! ... are you okay?"

To be honest? He wasn't sure until Donald and Goofy ran up to him ready to ask the same question. But noticing how many worried looks he had on him, he decided to tone himself up and put a brave face on "I'm fine, thanks ... don't-don't worry." He managed to stammer, straightening up and politely refusing Pippo's help to get up. "Gawsh!" The latter said, looking at the frightened animal "it was a sudden fall, are you okay?" The animal's amber eyes looked around, as if it wanted to memorize its surroundings and make sure it wasn't an illusion. He lifted one leg after the other "um ... I think so." Sora looked at him ... he didn't have any wounds, cuts or anything like that. He was struggling only to put his left front paw on the ground, but at least he wasn't badly injured. Maybe it was just a bruise. "Thank goodness ..." Sora said, nodding in his direction. "Hey ... you can get close. We won't hurt you."  
But the other shook his head, retreating a little more "no, I'd hurt you." She said. But Sora didn't give up; he had had the opportunity to hurt him, and he hadn't done it ... so why should he fear a creature that was then harmless "don't say 

say nonsense! "He said with an encouraging smile" come on, at least tell us your name ... "

"... Simba."  
He had never heard of such a name, it wasn't unpronounceable ... just bizarre in an almost exotic way. "Simba. Hmm, that's a nice name!" Sora said, smiling at him and holding out a hand despite knowing he couldn't hold it. A slight smile opened on Simba's animal face "heh ... thanks .."  
It was Donald Duck who broke the atmosphere. Hidden behind Goofy's leg he exclaimed in a shrill and somewhat suspicious way "WHAT ARE YOU?!" and this seemed to displace the other, who lowered his gaze. "Uh ... What did he say?" He asked.

"He asked you what you are," Goofy answered  
"Oh! .. a lion." He said, as if he wasn't very proud of it and wanted to try to throw it as subtle as possible. "Like a ... a big cat."  
Ah ... yes, Sora had seen many cats before ... but never one this big and with so much fur surrounding his head (called a mane for normal people.)

Simba ignored Donald's tone as he approached, examining the boy's hand "... and your names?" He said, taking a loud sniff at it  
"Oh, right" with an unnecessary little curtsy Sora smiled "I'm Sora, and they're Donald and Goofy!"  
He didn't understand what was going through the lion's mind on the spot, but he perceived that those names sounded as strange to him as his name had sounded strange to them "yeah ... um, nice to meet you." He said crawling a claw on the ground and continuing to look around "listen ... by any chance do you have any idea where the Pridelands are from here?" At that question, silence fell immediately and the three exchanged a confused look; lands of ... what? Simba seemed to read his face and lowered his head, sighing softly "you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" And she pressed her black lips into a very thin line barely visible.  
Sincerely sorry, Sora shook his head slowly "no, I'm sorry ..." He said "... these herd lands just ... your home?" The lion looked at him, then nodded "Yes. I can't understand what happened ... before I was there, and now I found myself floating in the air and then- well, here I am." He had rattled everything off so quickly that none of the three really had time to figure out what he said until seconds later.

They had little time to register that change of emotion, because a noise that for Sora had become all too familiar to Sora and which signaled only one thing. A word that had increased his anger and convinced him to be the bearer of the Keyblade; Goofy yelped jumping in the air, a shield appeared under his arm on the spot "Heartless! Guys, in position!"   
Heart...what?  
Simba felt the muscles of his back and hips tighten as he felt the danger cut the air, emanating from those tiny creatures but who seemed to frighten the new acquaintances. He turned around, his stance went from relaxed, to combat mode in a moment, red mane flew with the movement landing back in its natural form.  
The gaunt figurines stood out in front of them with their gaunt faces and their yellow and empty eyes staring at them, without really seeing them and instinctively Sora put himself in an attack position "oh, not now! Simba, find cover!" Donald exclaimed, obviously Simba didn't understand and didn't ask for explanations. The important thing was to protect himself and others at that moment, regardless of what was happening in this city or in the Pridelands. "unity is strength, I won't leave you alone!" he exclaimed, front paws spread like someone who has just started a battle. He was immediately on the defensive when he saw the first Heartless charge; with a roar that shook the earth he went straight to meet him and with a blow of his paw he sent him up in smoke, the heart of the animal returned to the sender immediately floating in the night air. Under the astonished gaze of the three, he took it out in less than two seconds and then turned towards them ".... are you all okay?"  
Sora was still fascinated by what he had seen, just as Donald and Goofy were. All three seemed to think the same thing as they looked at the slim figure watching them now, not even for a battle-weary moment ... Simba was a stranger, true ... but that had been an act of great courage, and above all a very admirable show of strength. The Keyblade disappeared when Sora gave a quick hand movement "that was amazing!" It was all he managed to exclaim, clapping his hands in delight "you are incredible!"  
"Don't overdo it..." with a movement of his head he let one side of his bangs fall over one eye without looking away, staring at his paws and memorizing the ground.

Donald sheathed his arms frowning "yeah, don't overdo it ..." He said somewhat frowning. Simba didn't understand why he was offended, or even what he said. He shook only his mane nonchalantly "the important thing is that you are well, I'd rather not have you on conscience." the tone used at the time was flat, almost full of nonchalance "no big deal." Given that his attitude had changed in a short time, Sora pressed to say the next words "where are you going now?" And he said this with some urgency. Simba moved an ear, his amber gaze suddenly empty like that of a wild animal ... maybe the adrenaline of the moment was gone all of a sudden "I don't know." He finally admitted "there's gotta be an entrance somewhere, to go home ... I should start looking for it." Sora immediately stepped forward, a finger pointing at his own chest "so why don't you come with us?"  
"With ... with you?" Simba's eyebrows shot up in mild interest towards the offer.

Sora nodded vigorously, his spiky hair waving with the jerking motion "Yeah! Why not? You'd be a useful resource, and then you wouldn't be alone!" He said in encouragement. "What do you think? We're in a pretty good team, the three of us! Would you like to join?" The lion lowered his ears against his skull, slightly lowering his gaze towards his paws "... wouldn't I be in weight?"  
All three shook their heads (even Donald, though he was still frowning). He suspected that he didn't like him very much, also because Donald would have been a prey to the eye ... it was in the nature of both to feel in a certain sense aversion, yet Simba was neither hot nor cold towards the grumpy duck. Goofy was much more relaxed towards him, he looked at him with warm black eyes, smiling from time to time. They would have no problem getting along.  
Sora was definitely the youngest of the three, the most immature, but certainly the one with whom Simba would have most bonded. He was sure of it. There was a long silence in which Simba seemed to think about the offer, followed by the snap of a tongue and a sigh   
"okay." He said "I'll go with you."


	3. Chapter 2 : New

Getting into that stuff called gummiship had made him more anxious than he should ... he, who had always been accustomed to open spaces with boundless views, now forced to stand at the bottom of a large cabin like an impala? How luck turned, Simba told himself, settling himself as best he could between the colored tiles that formed the ship. He rested his head on his paws with the intention of resting a bit, because suddenly an abnormal fatigue had taken over. The lion opened his jaws and let out a powerful yawn that at first sounded like a roar that sent Donald upside down in fright for the umpteenth time and that alarmed Sora. The boy jumped from the seat, but didn't jerk his hand out to extract the Keyblade in his palm to defend himself from a possible attack.

A possible attack ...? they had mistaken him for a very wild animal, he guessed. Simba swept his gaze towards everyone in the gummiship slowly, relentlessly. "I was just yawning," he clarified, feeling a slight stroke of indignation when he heard them both sigh with relief. He took a breath to refrain from replying, without noticing the dirty look that Goofy threw at Sora and Donald "don't worry!" he told him turning from the swivel seat with absurd ease "you have just traveled a world, it's normal to feel a little sleepy." _not for me_ the lion said to himself, running a paw over his face with a sigh "and why is this normal?" Goofy rubbed his chin, barely missing the protruding teeth that made him unique "you traveled from one world to another very abruptly, it's not for everyone. Give yourself time to recover." Simba rested his head on his paws, looking at him as he felt his eyelids drop slightly. Sleep was quickly getting the better of his senses. "Simba, sleep." Sora told him "really, no problem. We'll wake you up as soon as we arrive."

"Promise?" Asked the lion. In his heart he hoped that after this trip he would not suffer from sleepiness even after. But for now he was so tired ... "yep, but now ..." The rest of the sentence vanished completely as the tiredness got the better of him. Sleeping would help him recharge for what lay ahead, perhaps. He didn't know, all he was aware of was the movement of the gummiship during sleep.

•••

Wanting to be realistic, Simba slept for an hour or so when the jolting and irritating movement of the ship finally stopped disturbing his restful sleep. And when with a light thud but stopped it landed on the ground of the new world, the lion opened his eyes "awake awake, sleeping beauty ..." Goofy sang, getting off his chair with a leap "we have arrived."

"Hm? ' Simba stretched "really? Already? "Sora looked at the keyblade for a moment, as if wondering if it really should be left unattended." Are there no keys or anything like that? "He asked almost nervously" an anti-shoplifting system? Something? "Donald shook his head" nothing at all! "He said" The gummiship protects itself! Come on now, everyone out! "Simba moved his eyes towards the exit of the gummiship ... and at a guess the space was too small for him" you go first, I'll wait for my turn. " _A polite lion_ thought Sora immediately , there weren't very kind animals he had met in his life. This was one of the first really friendly animals to all of them. And so he did, he waited patiently for everyone to get off and then jumped out. The landscape that loomed before them was very different from a jungle, a savannah or whatever ... it was green. Very green ... too green for his tastes ... it seemed almost unnatural. With a silence that certainly did not belong in an overly populated place It almost seemed (and it made me shiver to think so) that there was no life. "Where are we?"

Sora rubbed his thorny head quite confused, looking at Donald and Goofy for an answer. Nobody had it "hard to say so cold ..." Goofy finally said, starting to walk without seeing where he was walking and looking in the air. "I guess we should keep looking for clues to figure it out ..." Simba, Sora and Donald followed him unsure what to do. "Couldn't we stop and ask for directions?" Finally the duck asked. That was the problem, there was no one to ask for information. It was a very ... stumbling situation. "A bit of positivity!" Goofy said, spreading his arms to them and turning as he walked "we will find a - ** _YAAAH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEY_** !!" with this scream never heard before, Pippo rushed past their sight "GOOFY!?" All three exclaimed at the same time running to see where he had fallen ... the answer was a huge pit, very deep and from which Pippo still seemed to be in free fall "we gotta help him!" Sora exclaimed immediately, taking a run without thinking twice ... but something inside Simba made him grab Sora's hood with his teeth before he could swing "wait!"

"WHAT?!"

"ARE YOU STILL FALLING?"

"Yuk! Y-yes! Guys, what is this place ?!" Their poor friend's voice was completely panicked. Simba felt impotence pervade his chest "can you ... see the bottom?!" Goofy took a while to reply "I'm falling slowly ...!" That answer knew a lot about one thing that only Rafiki could do ... but the sorcerer was nowhere near. What the hell was going on? "It's safe." He communicated, letting go of Sora. The boy did not hesitate to dive in his turn with a small scream that died away immediately; Donald hesitated for a moment, but a blow from the lion's paw sent him flying below and then being followed closely by the latter. The first few meters of the fall were tremendous, swirling ... and then magically it was as if something was slowing the fall and finally the ground became visible to the naked eye. It was made from tiles joined to the tall walls they had seen up until now (alternating with fluttering objects like a chair that went straight into Simba's eye and a table that hit the hollow of Sora's elbow. That would leave a bruised not indifferent.) Once on the ground, Simba refrained from collapsing on the ground "... Goofy, next time why don't you look where you walk?"

Embarrassed, the anthropomorphic dog massaged his neck "I had no idea it was a hole!" He defended himself as Sora tried to straighten up; that change of speed had been easy for them who were animals and had more stamina ... but Sora, he was just a kid in the end. Much more fragile than all of them, and he realized it when she saw him lose balance for a moment. With a quick movement he tucked his big head under his arm to support him "woah, Hey! Look out! Are you okay?" Sora's blue eyes (and he had never seen such an intense blue) cleared at the contact with the lion's mane and he immediately nodded "yess ..." He muttered, straightening up "I'm fine." And he was already ready to go on. As he had already done, Simba grabbed it from the hood with his teeth pulling it to him "Brake, brake." He told him "you're dazed. Get on." And offered him his broad, slender back "I'm well-"

"It wasn't a question. _Get on_." With a quick movement of the muzzle he literally forced him up and up, trying not to destabilize him in any way "hold on, hm?" The hilarity of all this you will say. Hm? A kid riding a lion, what a scene ... as far as Sora is concerned, all confusion in his brain had vanished upon contact with Simba. Did that lion really have calming abilities? Some kind of shield? He didn't know for sure, but it would have been interesting to find out. For now they had to focus on moving forward, or they would never know where to go. The group then took the first road that came before them. And to say they were oblivious to everything would be saying very little ... they had no idea what awaited them.

It was only a little voice that made them understand what kind of place they had come to ... before they even saw him, they heard him coming; a snow-white rabbit wearing a red suit and a breast pocket with a gadget a thousand times his size inside (watch, Simba. It's called a Watch.) And running like a damned thing towards what looked like a room.

Oh good. Another deranged.


	4. Chapter 3 : down the rabbit hole

They followed that strange creature deep inside. It screamed at the top of its lungs, jumping up and down (with even more hysteria after it saw Simba and recognized him as a predator and therefore a danger.), But if he was to tell the truth Simba would have eaten him already if he were really hungry .. .the rabbit was therefore out of danger. The only flaw was his frenzy and how much nervous energy he bobbed around checking that damn clock " _IT'S LATE, IT'S LATE!" shouted "THE QUEEN WILL WANT MY HEAD! IT'S LATE!_ " Simba growled in frustration at Goofy, who captured the emotion with a look and a hand stretched out to him to avoid letting him scream at the already scared little creature of his " _I swear on the Kings of the past ... Why on earth is he even shouting?!_ " Donald shared, for once, that confused and frustrated state of mind by so much noise by crossing his arms and giving the white creature a look full of enormous disappointment, shaking his head rhythmically. Among the four Sora was the only one with a minimum of serenity and despite the absurd situation per se, he smiled encouragingly "there is only one way to find out! At a _gallop_!" In all of this he was still on the lion's back and leaned forward pointing to the apparent horizon. Simba looked at him over his shoulder with something that resembled indignation. "did you mistake me for a horse?" The boy felt himself blush in front of that somewhat abrupt and slightly annoyed response, but nevertheless he showed off his best pimp face with lot of encouraging smile: he leaned forward with his chest on the animal's mane and his hands clasped his hands, sides of it close to his muzzle, ignoring the lion's eyelids dropping onto his amber hues in mild annoyance at Sora's slightly childish antics

" _PLLLEEEEAAAASEEEEE_ " the boy pressed, pleading right info Simba's ear and causing it to twitch ever so slightly. "just this time!" The golden liom snorted, blowing off air from his nostrils and getting a bit of his bangs out of the way in the process when he found he couldn't possibly resist Sora's puppy eyes. Not on earth nor heaven there was a way he could. "... okay." he said in the end, tone dropping onto the lowest sound he could reach as his eyes rolled upwards setting down once more right after. He reared briefly as a horse would (how hypocritical) and then charged off in great leaps, moving his legs in a rhythmic way to advance on the concrete not bothering to see if Donald and Goofy were keeping up. The two in fact were barely running, it seemed more a way to move the legs very clumsy than what he was used to ... Yup. Sora, for his part, held firmly to Simba and involuntarily pulled his mane when the lion took a very tight curve in which they risked crashing disastrously against some wall too narrow for them. (And Simba found himself braking several times to avoid this, screeching claws on the marble and ultimately smacking against something with barely any agony by now). In the meantime that damned little creature had already disappeared into the maze of that colorful labyrinth and was getting smaller and smaller as they approached a door : the walls were narrower, but thanks to his slim build Simba didn't have too much trouble getting his way. They had to walk in single file for quite a while until they reached the terminus. It was a simple door, smooth and made of wood like a normal door to any house in any universe. The group stood there, motionless and pressed on top of each other like cod. Feathers against fur and fur against leather gloves and a very light complexion, intense black, amber and blue eyes focused on the door as if they could open it with the thought "uh ..." Goofy ventured "who tries to open it before trying to break it down shoulder to shoulder? " Sora distractedly toyed with the lion's thick mane " 's kinda weird there isn't a handle though ..."

In fact it was quite bizarre ... every door has a handle, whether square or rectangular. "What if we really try to break it?" "You're so drastic ..." Sora commented "maybe there is some secret opening ... maybe a hidden code-" Meanwhile Simba rested his head on the door, and it opened upon contact with the little push. The lion looked at the three with an air of one who knew what was obvious "or maybe just a little push." Well, that was the obvious answer perhaps ... but it had also become obvious that no one was really a top when thinking about something was involved. Humans had a much less developed instinct ... what amazed him were Donald and Goofy ... how could they not perceive anything? oh, the less questions you ask the better. Listen to me. And Simba sighed "hm ... come on, let's go inside." The creature must have passed with absurd ease from there, unlike those three ramshackle who now found themselves in a room. It wasn't just any room ... this was really big compared to what they were ... almost like they had gotten too small for it: It was colorful, but it really wasn't that great. Sora had seen much nicer rooms, more decorated and with colors much more suited to each other and that didn't give the headache to look at them for too long "oh great ..." Simba commented "and now where are we ? " Goofy rubbed his neck "gawsh, I have no idea ..." He admitted "one of the worlds assigned to us before I presume"

"Oh, nooo way..." Simba's sarcasm was not very welcome at that moment, yet it was certainly not received with spite. More than anything else with a few sighs of disappointment at a bitter humor in a critical situation. The further insult was the fact that no one could direct them on the right path, since there was no one around "we have to make do apparently ..."

Why didn't that sound like anything new?


	5. Chapter 4 : New clues

were you lucky? "

"Not yet ... you?"

"not at all."

An hour. They had been repeating the same thing for a whole hour going around the room as only crazy people would have done, walking back and forth non-stop or a destination among the colored reinforced concrete bricks to the point of unbelievable ... you will ask yourself: did the sense of smell developed by the lion lent a hand? of course not, imagine ... his developed senses seemed to have completely collapsed. He could not focus his attention on more than one scent at a time and started sneezing. A pugnacious smell of roses lit up practically everywhere in that place "oh, come on! It's ridiculous!" the lion began, trying to climb somewhere to get a better view. Tsk, poor naive ... seeing an inch from his nose was never his strong point. "Is it possible that we can't find a damn entrance?"  
Donald and he were intent on moving some boulders from around there to find some entrance while Pippo and Sora were looking for a door. Obviously in vain. "have we found the entrance to a world and can't find a door ?!"  
"so it seems ..." Goofy added. "argh!" was the lion's answer "that's enough, let's do it the old way. Destroy everything until you see a passage!" Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at each other stunned and perhaps even a little disconcerted by the method just stated by the lion   
"... is it a real method or have you just invented it?" Simba rolled his eyes, waving his tail in front of Donald's face "you'll never know that" he sang playfully "Sora, you can use the thing-"  
"Keyblade."  
"The thing, to help me destroy something around here?"

The boy's sea-blue eyes rested on the weapon indecisively. Sora nibbled her bottom lip persistently and then started a "uhh, I don't think that's a good idea." fiddling with his fingers, almost fearing a violent reaction from the lion. Simba opened his mouth to protest, but then seeing the look in Sora's eyes he decided not to say more.  
Sora was perhaps the only human he would ever get along with and whose personality was in tune with his own, stubbornness and hot spirits included. And losing the friendship of that brave little boy would have been a real shame ... so Simba snorted softly and shook his head "okay, okay." He said trying not to make any resentment resound in his voice, his mane fell over his eyes "we'll find another way."

"that would be...?"  
Simba pursed his lips in a thin line examining the surroundings "... that wooden thing looks like it can move." He said looking at a piece of furniture with almost insistence, raising an eyebrow with a look close to a very ... er ... reckless action. "then I have an idea."  
•••

Simba slammed his shoulder against the wooden surface of the cabinet "one last effort, guys!" Sora urged. The idea had been briefly this: to push that object away to see if there was some passage behind it. And his senses were screaming at him that there was something back there ... his every whisker quivering with anticipation, his every nerve screaming to move, screeching against a calm he pretended to have but was now brutally replaced by a rough determination. Grumbles of effort came from all three, from which Donald dissociated almost immediately to check that he had not dislocated anything. Goofy instead remained next to the lion together with Sora "nothing ... Is... happening ... nothing!" Sora growled, his legs were shaking uncontrollably without giving up or giving up in some way "just a little more!" Simba insisted, shifting the weight of the thrust from shoulder to head. Goofy was immediately alarmed "what are you doing?! you'll crack your skull!" he exclaimed in alarm: the lion's brown-amber eyes were sending yellow flashes of determination "I have a protective mane, my skull is safe! Now push!" 

And it was clear from her tone that he didn't want to hear reasons of any kind with her focused face. Goofy and Donald with Sora resumed pushing until a mechanical click and a roar signaled that something was actually moving "it's moving!" Goofy exulted "let's go on! Come on, we're almost there! ' inexorably the cabinet integrated itself into the wall next to the window, disappearing into it and revealing an entrance the size of a cave which the group looked at with bewilderment hidden from curiosity.  
Simba squared the edges, sniffing the inside briefly with caution. Was there a smell of ... flowers?  
Flowers mixed with another acrid, pungent odor that made his nose wrinkle in a disgusted grimace. Sora's hand caressed his mane as he climbed onto his back again, Goofy and Donald by their side.  
"Well. Either it goes or breaks it." then they entered that endless tunnel. It ended with the entrance to an indoor garden where a scene was taking place: Simba didn't know exactly what it was, he just knew it was no good.

Cards stood on either side of an arcade of flowers with pointed spears in hand and a very serious air. The line of guards extended up to a rise with a table where blond hair fell immediately to the eye exactly like a bright blue dress in stark contrast to the blush of the one who was screaming over the justifications of the girl. "I'm on trial? but why?" the girl tried to ask, sky-blue eyes filled with fear and pure confusion. The one who apparently was the queen did not bat an eyelid, she railed at the little girl with full lungs instead "she is guilty! There is no doubt of that!"

...wait a second. Was she accusing her without a shred of evidence? so, why did she ...? Simba exchanged glances with Sora. "and the reason is because I said it, that's why!" ladies and gentlemen, here's how to send Simba into a rage: false accusations, deceptions.  
And that woman was collecting two in one from the first second she saw it.  
Oh, biting her head off was a viable option.  
"but it's unfair!" the little girl protested, clapping her hands on the wooden surface. And with given right!   
"do you have something to say in your defense?" She pressed once more, how being called a neurotic hysteric could serve to make herself for her own reasons. Spoiler alert; it only made her look like a tyrant.   
Yep, yep.  
Lion rampage in 3,2...  
1.  
Simba, unable to remain silent at that point, yelled "I have something to say!" attracting the attention of everyone, including the queen. The woman's face lost its color in a cold calm but contained by anger "and who would you be...you thing?"  
Simba snorted from his nostrils "My name is Simba and I don't like anyone referring to me as 'thing'." his back muscles were twitching uncontrollably, so much so that Sora quickly got out so as not to get in the way of a potential attack. Freed from this, Simba advanced towards what looked like a nave until he reached the little girl on the "" podium "" placed just in front of what might have seemed a council or the like "and for the record a ruler shouldn't condemn a subject just because she likes it, or because she's bored. " he said without removing the eye contact from the horrible face of that insult of a Queen not even for a moment, Amber Brown hues flashing with unnamed challenge. "we need sooooo much deeper justifications to execute someone just like that." And he was saying this he waved his tail nonchalantly, back and forth, forth and back again. "so please, can we hear yours?" he clearly saw the face of that half sovereign's stocking turn red with sudden anger, quivering with the scepter in her hand. She slammed a hand against the wood and the whole room jumped with gasps of dismay in front of so much anger and who was facing her without even wavering, a dull and blank expression was what greeting the following shouting one-way match.   
He was clearly having none of it.  
"IGNOBLE BEAST, I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD CUT FOR SUCH INSOLENCE!" she screamed, her neat bun now completely loose with tufts fired from every part of that empty head. Simba raised an eyebrow, an objectively impudent and arrogant smile made its way over his lion face as he let a small amount of hair out his teeth in a mildly annoyed sound, head leaning foward and tilting to the side in whole challenge mode. "tsk! I'm sorry to break your dreams, but you have no power over me." he said, chest out with authority, "you have the King of the Pridelands before you, by chance." and doing this he stood up placing his front legs on the kingdom "and do you have any idea how furious and dangerous a lioness can become without her own king?"

The anger subsided slightly and she began to rub her chin "hmm ... a good match if it were human." she said completely ignoring the fact that her husband was right next to her. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if Simba had been human, he would have been as pale as a rag at that moment. Oh, but who needs skin that can whiten when you have your gorgeous amber eyes the size of two plates with a pupil that resembled his urge to keep seeing that horrible woman.  
So equal to zero.  
If the situation had been more relaxed, a panting laugh from Sora in the background would have broken the tension.  
"NO, NO NO. ABSOLUTELY NO." he exclaimed putting himself down again. Honestly, mouth. Seriously? "don't even try to change the subject, it's not worth it!" he said. Behind them, Goofy was desperately trying to keep Donald Duck quiet, signaling Simba not to overdo it too much and at the same time curb the pang of hysterical laughter that Sora was having.  
As it turned out, not even the most tense situation had upset Sora. In fact, the boy laughed blissfully, or rather ... he tried to laugh. But Donald was signaling him to be quiet.   
"Do you dare to give me orders? until proven otherwise we are in my kingdom, King Simba." She said. Simba gave her a hateful look and immediately turned to the girl "what's your name?"  
she looked at him in amazement  
"little one, we don't have much time. Your name."  
"A-Alice."  
"go to those three over there and don't move." he ordered. Although still amazed, the girl trotted down the steps and joined Sora, Donald and Goofy who welcomed her with open arms. The Queen laughed "Look at him! He comes here and pretends to be in charge, you don't even know what crime it is!" he exclaimed with utterly irritating arrogance. Simba rolled his eyes in plain sight: it was his intent to show her his disdain "if that sewer you find yourself by mouth stopped babbling nonsense maybe we would get somewhere!" a general gasp arose in front of an insolence that no one had ever had the courage to use "the roses in my garden! they were stolen, and I know it was her!"  
Simba tried in every way to invoke patience "oh please! That poor girl is-"  
"a thief! that's what she is."  
here, now enough. Simba's nerves were a stone's throw away from jumping into a blatant extermination of the monarchy there on the spot.   
Nah, dramatic.   
They just infuriated in a muuuuch worse manner. Considering how prone he was to being quick to anger, his expression immediately changed from being bored to being angry. He often went through this kind of quite violent mood swings, and that as soon as one nerve too many was even touched.  
And I'm talking about quite ... er ... destructive anger? no, that's not the right word ...  
breathless? no ... no definitely not.  
Let's see ... oh! Yeah!  
intense. "SEE HERE, YOU-" but it was Sora who spared him a loss of dignity. The little boy stepped forward and yelled 

"I AM THE THIEF, THE FAULT IS MINE!"

A chilling silence fell on the scene. The queen of hearts was even more furious than before, but at the same time triumphant. The other monarch, however, looked at the little boy with the same gaze that an older brother would use on his own little brother. A look that meant " WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING'

"excellent! then-"  
But a visceral "NO!" it sprang from Goofy, Simba, Alice and Donald who sent a bored look on the face of the queen of hearts. It was Pippo who intervened this time "your grace, immense majesty. There must be another way." he said trying to flatter her. She fanned herself with a fan, chin up and looking away "Your Majesty, what's the real reason? This can't be for silly roses."  
"silly?!"  
"OH GREAT KINGS OF THE PAST, PLUG YOUR MOUTH, UGLY-HMPH!" but Donald was quick to put a hand over his mouth to silence the altered lion. "Ehh, Goofy; the honor to you!" and with that he dragged the lion to an isolated corner of the room "do you want to calm down?!" she inveighed in a low voice, poking his nose with angry insistence. Simba ran a paw over it while glaring at Donald"she has no right to accuse her like that!"  
Another blow of the stick on the nose, and this time Simba hissed "and what do you think you can solve by insulting her?!" Donald crossed his arms impatiently, waiting for the lion to understand that barking at her as he was about to do was not a good idea.   
"Well-"  
WHACK! "that was RETHORICAL!"  
"and what does it cost you to specify it?"  
and that stick again.  
"stop that! Are you trying to give me a head injury?" Simba protested, blocking a blow simply by putting a paw forward. That duck was dangerous.  
"listen, we have to play cunning. I thought you of all people would understand-"  
Simba dropped his mane over the bridge of his nose "but he was about to stop her for no reason!". Donald rubbed his temples "you're hopeless." he muttered.  
The lion twisted his mouth to one side, reaching nose to beak with Donald "hey! YOU are hopeless!" But was met with a blank stare "very mature."  
"Oh,sure!"  
"Look : Let's stay out of it for now. Goofy will find a solution, or alternatively we'll do it our way."

reluctantly, Simba looked back to where Pippo and the queen along with Sora were arguing animatedly about what to do. Alice had been cornered and locked in a cage too small even for her.  
The lion sighed softly, first world ... first mission. And although doing as Donald said cost him all kinds of dignity, he resigned himself and muttered an harrump.  
Yep, looong day.


	6. Chapter 5 : plan

The conversation with the Queen was characterized by hot spirits, especially on the part of the latter whose face turned redder with every loss of oxygen caused by screaming in that way straight in the face of poor Goofy who, in spite of himself, kept his hands raised almost as a sign of surrender, as if he were trying to calm her down without infuriating her further. And all of this was observed by Sora, Donald and Simba. The discussion was getting longer than necessary, so Simba lay down and Sora leaned against his side with his arms folded. Donald instead was back and forth observing the two from time to time, and then returning to mutter under his breath, visibly irritated by the scream of that woman. Among the meaningless words one could clearly distinguish several " _I'll cut off your head for such insolence!_ " and Donald plugged Simba's mouth just in time, pressing one hand over the top of his face just below the bridge of his nose and another under his chin to disguise a low growl, which Sora helped to pass off as his own while coughing, exaggerating it as hard as he could to cover up the dissent somewhat close to aggression. The guards watched them for a brief second before gripping their weapons firmly again and observing Goofy and The Queen.

"Simba!" with a lunge the duck rammed a hand on his head in an attempt to knock him down, but he dodged with a quick movement of the head to the side and wrinkling his nose, irked. The lion muttered an "okay, okay." resting his head on his paws, but the brusque and undulating movement of his tail said the opposite. Back and forth, back and forth ... back and forth, and then back and forth again. In a tirelessly tense rhythm. He freed himself from Donald, returning to observe the scene that seemed to have subsided a little, but not completely. Simba's amber brown eyes were reduced to two lines, his mouth twisted to one side. "wrap it up." was Donald's spite towards him. _Five minutes! Stop being so obnoxious for five minutes!_

"Stay in your lane!" answered the lion. He had been silent until that moment, but that to everything that he did the duck _had_ to reply.... oh no dear, I _will_ slap that face of yours on the ground if i hear one more word. This damn situation isn't just difficult for you, you know? "Getting angry won't solve-"

"Donald." he tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible, but it was becoming difficult not to answer screaming at him "try repeating that again and the only one who'll suffer my anger will be _you_." His tail was swinging right in front of Sora, and a chuckle escaped the little boy and with a flick of his hands and Simba's great surprise, Sora grabbed his tail and started stroking its fiery red tip. Okay, okay. He snatched a smile from him. but that was it, for an expression of stress weighed down his face again as the conversation continued. "Hey, Simba!" he instinctively turned, just in time to see Sora using a tuft of his mane as a mustache with a funny expression on his face. "How would amustache look?"

... wow, this kid sucked at reading expressions. Like, it was really painful just to spot them from a millimeter away. Seriously, talking about total inability, complete absence of ... of ... _ugh_ ...

yeah well ... you got it. Sora can't read any kind of emotion. When Goofy returned, he was more discouraged than ever. Which was irreverent ... but they all awaited the verdict; certainly not that great queen excuse. The verdict awaited. The anthropomorphic dog rubbed his arm with a battered air and looked at all three of them "So?" Donald pressed, and Goofy let out a sigh. No. It didn't go well. Simba sighed instinctively, following him closely in a gesture of despair "oh, come on ..." he murmured "what does that stupid old woman want?" without calculating that the queen of hearts wasn't exactly that old ... oh well. Any insult was good, even the most disproportionate, in that situation. Donald didn't even bother to nudge him in the side, step on his paw or pull his ear to shut him up. He had now given up, and thank goodness. Goofy rubbed his arms with resignation " _Gawsh_ , the situation's complicated. Very complicated."

That has many meanings, and in this case it was crystal clear: Find the culprits or she'll cut your head off ... _what a joy._

...

Well? come on, dumbhead! say something!

" Tell my mother I've made a brave end."

you gotta be kidding me. The gazes of Sora, Donald and Goofy turned towards him and his expression of fake knowing in an unknown topic ... Right on, _faux pas_ all higher magnitude. Donald's anger manifested itself in a more tenuous way: that is, without jumping on the spot and scream bloody murder attracting everyone's attention. (He was definitely not the calm type.) "Get it _over_ with!"

"oh, come on, I was being sarcastic!"

"it'll be better for you!" and pointed the stick straight at his chest, jamming it in with a silent threat. ugh, whatever.

"what now?" legitimate question, but the answer seemed unknown at the time. Oh, so unknown it could pass for a mystery. Not _now_ Shakespeare! Stop the poetic flow, roll up your sleeves and buckle down, for crying out loud! ...

Yeah, Get busy, but the question remained _how_. And Sora was waiting for an answer. "as Simba said we can say goodbye to our heads."

"... or we could rack our brains and find a solution." Goofy suggested this in a brilliant, so positive way. Huh, how did he do it? Simba bit his lower lip with his pointed incisors, but did not hurt herself. He just pinned the black lip between the two dental arches and tormented it with nerve clamps. Well, it was clear that none of them were exactly a great genius at understanding what had to be done to save their heads and well-being. "Guys! we have to find who stole her heart, of course! "

a little walk, huh?

Simba let his jaw drop down, Donald began to mumble as Sora just watched the two.

It was literally stupid, so stupid. A timed challenge that could have ended badly. Go looking for thieves of hearts? Hah, are you kidding I hope? I didn't sign up for this when I agreed to come! How the hell does a thief of hearts catch himself, reciting one of those cheap and excuseful pick-up phrases like "you have two stars for eyes" or on that false line? Are you serious? Are you just tuning in or what? Having a conversation with the little voice in the head? what kind of world do we live in? There are no longer between seasons, and global warming? Who will think about _that_?

...

_ahem._

Get a grip on yourself. 

"and that would calm the tyrann- er, Queen. And free Alice!"

Quite right.

 _Alice_.

The girl still stuck behind those bars: she must have barely been the age of a slightly older cub. Good heavens, They had to free her. 

"...alright. What's the plan?"

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter music : https://youtu.be/gOpB12ow-VM


End file.
